


What You Heard

by rosegoldthread



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, Fluff, Getting Together, Long, M/M, Misunderstandings, Nerdiness, One Shot, POV Alternating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-15 20:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18506365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosegoldthread/pseuds/rosegoldthread
Summary: Mark is quick to make assumptions, but Lucas surpasses all of his expectations.Alternatively: College AU where Mark learns not to judge people's intelligence before getting to know them.





	What You Heard

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my very long and very self-indulgent attempt at a sweet relationship between Mark and Yukhei. Hope you enjoy:)
> 
> Another Note: This has alternating POVs, so it can be a bit disjointed at times.

Lucas is late. Like disrespectful, ‘I don't give a fuck about my future’ late. He's huffing and puffing as he straight up runs across campus to get to class.

There's sweat on his brow, and even though the weather is cold he's still sweating under his baby blue ‘Kodak Who?’ hoodie. He knows that this isn't his fault, but he can't help the embarrassment that paints his face bright red (or maybe that's just the running?). 

People are staring at him as he runs, and as he passes a couple of students sitting by the small cafe he hears a heartfelt “Same”. His flight from China had been horrendously delayed, and Lucas just wishes that he'd booked his ticket back much sooner, but his grandparents had wanted him to stay longer, and what kind of grandson would he be if he had refused? 

But now he's dealing with the reality of being (he glances at his watch) thirty minutes late, and he almost stops running because is it even worth it? But Yukhei is a whore for academic achievement, so skipping class on the first day just won't cut it. 

So he keeps running till he reaches Bartman Hall, and as he tries to quietly open the door to room 107, he's met with a room full of owlish eyes. He's tomato red at this point, and this is definitely embarrassment.  
The class is huge enough that the professor just ignores him, but the people at the back glance at him with judgment before turning their attention back to the front. He takes a seat near the back and tries to catch his breath, pulling out a notebook and his nice colored pens and highlighters. 

The writing on the board and the PowerPoint on the big screen tell him that they've already started looking at the first chapter's material. Of course, this would be a class where the first day wasn't just a syllabus dump. 

The professor (Dr. Zhang, his mind supplies) seems to be getting right down to business, and honestly, Lucas just wants to go back home and sleep for several hours. 

-*-*-*-*-*-

Mark is starting to accept the possibility that maybe he needs to get some more sleep.  
Even Dr. Zhang's energetic lecture can't keep his eyes from slipping closed in a silent plea for some slumber, and he's had so much caffeine that he thinks he's built up a tolerance over the summer. 

It's the first day of school, and Mark is trying to be a good TA/ role model for these future scientists, but he had to wrap up the last parts of his summer research last week, which meant a whopping 6 hours of sleep spread across the last 3 days. 

He's thinking about the benefits of dropping out and marrying his rich friend Jaehyun when a student bursts into the class. Mark sits in the row right next to the door, so he has a clear view of the boy as he steps in, looking like he’s run across campus or something. 

His dark hair is tousled, and Mark can see that he’s sweating under his blue hoodie. It’s the first day of class. Who is late on the first day? 

Unfortunately for him Dr. Zhang actually starts teaching on the first day instead of just giving them the syllabus and forcing everyone to participate in awkward icebreakers.  
The kid seems really flustered, but he’s already whipped out his notebook and is feverishly taking notes, so Mark thinks he might be okay after all. Maybe. 

The class goes on for another 45 minutes, and Mark battles his sleep deprivation until Zhang ends the lecture. He’s proud of himself, but he will most definitely ask Jaehyun for a ride home since there’s no way he won’t fall asleep while driving his own car. 

He’s texting Jaehyun when the student who was hilariously late walks up to him. 

Now that Mark can see him more clearly, he looks a little nervous and a lot gorgeous, and Mark swallows quickly before pressing send and turning his attention to the student.  
His hair is so adorably tousled, and he’s biting the hell out of his red, plump lip. He looks like he has on eye makeup, it’s subtle but Mark can tell, and it makes him feel a little weak.  
“Um, is there an attendance sheet for me to sign?” the student asks, and Mark redirects his attention to his brown eyes instead of his plush lips to answer him.

“No, there isn’t one, Dr. Zhang doesn’t count attendance as a grade, so you’re good”, Mark replies. 

He doesn’t feel the need to tell him that it’s a huge mistake to skip the class and that many students have underestimated the importance of attendance until they were staring at a solid F in their transcript. Mark also doesn’t ask him why he was late, and he’s ready to end this conversation to head home and get some sleep. 

“You are the TA, right? Sorry, I just recognized your name from the syllabus, and I just assumed since you’re the last one here..”, he trails off and looks vacant for a second, and Mark comes to the conclusion that he might be an airhead. He’s cute as a button, but maybe context clues are a bit of a reach for him.

So Mark smiles his most sickeningly sweet, patronizing smile and says, “If you had been a little earlier you would have heard the professor introduce me to the class, and you wouldn’t even have to ask about attendance since it’s all in the syllabus that you said you’ve read”. 

The other boy looks a little shocked at first, his eyes going comically wide. Mark feels kinda bad, but sleep deprivation has never made him a considerate saint. 

His face goes from slightly surprised to inscrutable in the time it takes for Mark to blink twice, and he returns the sweet smile and replies, 

“You’re absolutely right, sorry to bother you”, before turning around and walking out of the class. Mark sighs and checks his phone to see if Jaehyun has replied, and when he gets an affirmative for the ride home he leaves the class to stalk towards the parking lot.  
He tries not to think of the way he addressed the kid, but he can’t help the feeling of guilt that sits heavily on his chest. Maybe he was a bit too harsh?

 

\----------

Lucas walks away from his first class feeling very stupid, and not even the thought of getting milkshakes with his roommates later can dispel his embarrassment at being called out by the TA. 

He’d been kind of hot (aka very hot), and Lucas had just wanted to talk to him a little longer, maybe make a good impression. Well, that plan is out the window, he thinks as he walks to his next class. 

He arrives 5 minutes early since there’s a big gap between this one and the last one. He scans the room for Ten and YangYang and smiles when he sees them sitting in the middle row. 

Ten looks up to see him right before YangYang, and he yells out a greeting before he can even take a seat.

“Xuxi, baby how are you? I haven’t seen you in forever!” 

YangYang looks up from his phone and sees him next, smiling big and warm as he stands up to give him a hug. 

“Welcome back Xuxi, the house has been a hell hole since you left by the way”, he says right next to his ear as he hugs him tightly. 

 

Lucas grins at them both and they launch into a conversation about their summer vacations. He hasn’t seen them since last spring semester, and Skype calls just aren’t really the same. 

Ten has moved on to the latest campus gossip (which is not that widespread yet cuz it’s a huge campus) when the professor walks in.  
She’s an older lady with a really nice smile that feels sort of infectious, and Lucas doesn’t realize he’s smiling too until his face starts hurting and YangYang is rolling his eyes muttering “Nerd” from where he sits to his right. 

They participate in a really awkward icebreaker that involves remembering names, and he tells all of the other students to please just call him Lucas after they proceed to severely butcher the pronunciation of Yukhei for about 5 minutes. 

Someone pronounces it as Ukulele and maybe Lucas sees red.  
The class ends soon after the professor explains the syllabus and addresses questions. He feels so much better as they leave class, almost forgetting the incident from earlier this morning. 

It still bothers him enough to tell YangYang and Ten though, and later Hendery and Kun, since they all share a house anyway. 

YangYang and Hendery burst into uncontrollable laughter when he tells them about Mark, but Kun looks sympathetic and pats his head in an attempt to provide comfort. 

Yukhei leans into the touch, relaxing, and he sees Ten frown as he tells them about the issues with his flight and how hard it was to get to school this morning. He couldn’t even stop by the house before class. 

“He’s an asshole”, Ten concludes after listening to the whole story. Kun winces at his harsh tone, but Lucas almost wants to agree. 

Sure he was late, but it really wasn’t the TA’s job to call him out, and he was pretty sure that the TA had insinuated that he was dumb for not checking the syllabus for the attendance policy. 

He’s used to people assuming that he’s dumb as if his looks somehow take away from his ability to think or something. Lucas has learned not to let the assumptions bother him though, so he’s sure that he’ll be over it soon enough. He ultimately decides to put those thoughts aside to unpack his stuff. 

They all go out for milkshakes later in the evening. The restaurant is a hole in the wall with the nastiest food Lucas has ever tasted, and he always feels like his pores clog up from the sheer amount of grease slathered on nearly everything.

But they have the best milkshakes on earth, with liberal amounts of whipped cream. They also sell cute striped reusable straws, which Lucas always leaves at home, forcing him to buy a new one every time. But it’s worth it for the turtles.  
The milkshakes are heavenly as always, and the fries are actually just 90% grease and 10% potato, but Lucas eats them anyway as he catches up with his friends and tries not to choke when Kun makes vulgar jokes with Ten. It’s good to be back.

 

\---------

A few weeks later  
The ability to look at the positive side of things is a fine quality, one that is coveted by many, if not all people. It's becoming more and more apparent that Mark does not possess this quality the longer he grades the first exams. 

He’d be pulling out his hair if it wasn’t for Hansol, the other TA. They’ve been sitting in a small booth at the 24-hour diner for so long that Mark can feel his ass sticking to the weird material of the seat. Hansol gave up on being kind about an hour ago, and now he just openly laughs at some of the more pathetic responses to the short answer questions.

It’s not very nice, but what are they supposed to do when there are students who genuinely believe that game theory in Animal Behavior is actually related to video games? 

One student attempts to “theorize” that some games are more beneficial than others, citing Overwatch and Destiny as examples. Hansol reads this aloud to Mark, and that's when he breaks down and laughs. There are tears streaming down their cheeks as they attempt to use the grading rubric to score the frankly pathetic exams.

Mark laughs but he's utterly disappointed since they'd had a study session explaining all the core concepts before the exam. He's on last thread of hope when he sees the golden exam. When the first question turns out to be correct, he thinks that it's a fluke; maybe the kid got lucky. But as he continues grading his red pen never touches the page, not even once. 

He's shocked as he writes a 100 at the top right of the page in bright red ink. The name on the exam reads Wong Yukhei, and Mark hasn't mastered the art of remembering names enough to know who the hell that is.  
There are about 120 students in his section, so the names all run together anyway. He shows Hansol the exam and the other man gasps, before breaking out in a bright grin.

“Ah, I almost forgot we had Lucas in our class this semester, he's going above and beyond as always”, Hansol says, still smiling as he looks over the exam.

“Who the hell is Lucas?” Mark asks, still dumbfounded by the perfect score. 

“Oh Yukhei goes by Lucas in public most times, since people always fuck up the pronunciation and shit”, Hansol explains. 

Mark nods as if that clarifies anything, and puts the exam back into the yellow manila folder before he can start squealing in excitement. 

He moves on to other exams, and in the end, there are a few A's, B's and a lot of C's and D's but somehow no F's, and Mark and Hansol agree that they can live with that. They celebrate by getting fried chicken and pigging out till they absolutely have to go home. He loves being a fucking TA.

 

\-------

It doesn't take long for Mark to realize that Lucas (or Yukhei or Xuxi, depending on who you ask) is everywhere. 

He's a resident campus genius in the Behavioral Neuroscience Department, and his minor in biology means that he's had more classes in common with Mark than any of his friends.  
Lucas is also in the student government association as a senator, and he regularly has little tabling sessions outside to get students to vote on certain issues. He can't believe that he never noticed him before. He's a junior at the tender age of 20, and he's been doing research since freshman year. 

Once Mark notices him in one place, he begins to notice him everywhere, in posts online, on honors students listings, on research project posters, the list goes on. What seals the deal is the fact that so many of Mark's own friends know him really well. 

“Oh, Yukhei? Yeah, he lives with Ten and all the other dudes, right? They're friends with Sicheng too, so we've hung out a few times. They have a bangin’ video game setup. Like that shit is heavenly”, Jaehyun informs him as he stuffs his mouth with cheese puffs one evening.

Mark has never been invited to those video game sessions because apparently, he was “too busy being a nerd”, but Jaehyun assures him that he wouldn't have seen Lucas either, based on the fact that he was also too busy being a nerd to join them for more than a few minutes. 

Johnny pounces on Mark's indication of interest, informing him that Lucas is “shockingly single” and “about 50% gay, kinda” which makes Mark splutter because he doesn't even know him that well, and he'd essentially called him dumb when they first met, so there's also that. 

He found Lucas attractive for sure, but he was kind of embarrassed to find that he was so much smarter than he'd assumed, at first sight, so he was keeping his distance as much as possible. 

His efforts to keep his distance were in vain because soon his friend groups started mixing like baking ingredients. It wasn't long before Lucas was in the apartment he shared with Jaehyun, Johnny, and Taeil.  
He was sitting on the couch with Kun and Ten, eating the chips that Jaehyun fed him. Mark was at a loss for words as he watched them interact so casually.  
He walked into the living room and took a seat near Taeyong (at least he was familiar) and stuffed his face with popcorn. He tried to make himself as small and inconspicuous as possible, but Johnny was having none of it. 

“Ayye, look who finally decided to join us on this lovely evening! Mark, this is Lucas, Ten, and Kun. Hendery and YangYang are on the way, and you already know Sicheng and Yuta”, Johnny said, prompting each of the people present to wave at him in acknowledgment. 

He didn't miss the strained look on some of their faces, especially Ten.  
He felt extremely awkward, but he waved back in response and tried to smile. His attempt probably looked more like a grimace, but he was back to stuffing his mouth full of popcorn in record time anyway. 

They were watching a horror movie, which had no effect on Mark whatsoever, but he could see Lucas clinging to Kun on the other side of the room. 

He's watched this movie about 5 times, so when he found himself watching Lucas’ reactions more than the movie itself, he blamed it on the fact that Lucas was more interesting. He's so cute, his mind supplied, and he hated how adorable he looked. 

He's always wearing some sort of oversized hoodie, and today it's mint green with a picture of Bulbasaur on it. Cute. 

When the movie ends, Mark all but runs back into his room. He gives the excuse of having papers to grade, even though he'd done that the day before, and he leaves before he's expected to interact with anyone else for the night. 

The next morning he heads into the kitchen to see Johnny and Jaehyun already up, looking at him strangely as he pours sugary cereal into his bowl. 

“Okay, so what the fuck is going on with you?” Jaehyun finally asks, prompting Mark to get very defensive, and Johnny jumps in before they can start pulling each other's hair. 

“What he means to say is why were you acting so weird last night? We thought you'd like hanging with Yukhei and his friends, they're cool”.

Mark's face is red now, and he quietly tells them about the first time he'd interacted with Lucas. Jaehyun bursts out laughing, tears streaming down his face as he slaps his thighs. Mark rolls his eyes, and Johnny looks sympathetic. 

“So now it's really awkward, and I don't know how to apologize, you know?” Johnny nods in understanding, but Jaehyun just snorts.

“Just say ‘I'm sorry for being an idiot and passing judgment on first sight, can we be friends?’ period”, Jaehyun replies, dimples piercing his cheeks as he grins at Mark. 

“I'm glad that this is so entertaining to you, but it can't be that easy. I'd be livid if anyone ever just assumed that I'm dumb because of my looks”, Mark says, and he speaks the words he realizes how fucked up his actions were. 

He'd seen a pretty boy and had automatically linked his good looks to a lack of intelligence, and now he's even more ashamed as he realizes his mistake. 

“Oooh, so you like his looks huh? You think he's pretty?” Jaehyun asks, his grin growing to the point that Mark thinks (and hopes) that his face will crack open soon. 

“That's beside the point, Jae, he still should apologize. But based on what I've heard about Lucas from Ten, he doesn't hold grudges. So you should be fine”, Johnny replies. 

“Hmm, pretty sure that's not the only thing you've heard from Ten”, Jaehyun shoots back, and Johnny splutters in response, his face filling with a rosy red. 

He leaves before Jaehyun can tease him any further, and Mark follows soon after so that he can get to campus on time. 

 

\---------

The words printed on the fancy paper remain the same no matter how many times Lucas blinks his eyes. He tries rubbing his eyes harshly, but after the dull red afterimage fades he can still see the same words on the paper. 

The word partner and the name Mark Lee should be nowhere near each other, as far as he's concerned, but there they are in bold Times New Roman font. 

The department of natural sciences had launched a new program where Animal Behavior students could apply to work with a TA and a professor on an animal observation project. It was a simple ethogram where they would catalog animal behaviors and apply their observations to a hypothesis.

Lucas had applied, of course, since this counted towards a research credit, but on the application, he'd put Ji Hansol as his preference. 

So the fact that he was now staring at Mark's name on the sheet of paper made no damn sense. Upon making a few calls to the department he gets in touch with Dr. Zhang, who politely informs him that since Mark and Hansol are the only 2 TAs in his section, the preference part of the application was only a formality. 

They had to split the students evenly between both TAs, and there were only 4 spots open. 

Lucas had thanked him for the opportunity before hanging up in defeat. He could drop the program, but that would be in bad taste, so he geared himself up for 2 months of observation with a TA who probably thought that he was dumb.

He understood that it was easy to judge people at first sight, and he hadn't made the best impression by being late on the first day of class. But he's since proven that he's a serious student by maintaining a really good grade in the class and regularly going to office hours. 

He knows that that's what factored into his acceptance into the program, and seeing as it's a really neat opportunity he's willing to put aside any awkwardness to get the work done. Who knows, they might even become friends.

\---------

“Why does the universe enjoy fucking with me like this?”, Mark asks mournfully as he reads the email containing the names of the students he'll be working on the ethogram with.

Wong Yukhei happens to be one of them, and Hansol looks confused as to why Mark's boxers are in a bunch over the news. So he shamefully retells the story to Hansol, and the other man just looks sympathetic. 

“Huh, that'll be awkward as hell for you. But maybe he's forgotten already? It's been at least two months since it happened. Plus you guys have hung out before right?”

“He has hung out with my friends not me personally. And they love him now so I'm stuck with him at school and at home. Dammit”, Mark replies, and Hansol's face twists in something that looks like a realization. 

“This is really not that big of a deal unless you like him or something. Then you've sort of fucked up his first impression of you”, Hansol tells him, looking like an old sage as he sips his passion fruit tea.

Mark assures him that he does not like Lucas, that he just wants the students to feel comfortable asking him questions without them feeling like he's judging them. 

Hansol looks unimpressed but advises him to apologize anyway. But the thing is, as much as Mark feels driven to tell Yukhei that he's sorry, it feels like bad timing. 

The logic makes no sense, but it's like when someone texts you and you don't respond for days. Days turn into months, and months run over into years until it feels inappropriate to ever respond. 

In the end, Mark decides to deal with this problem the way he deals with every other problem: ignore it and hope for the best.

 

\------------

They end up observing badgers. Their research question has to do with differences in social structures of wild badgers versus those in captivity, and how that affects the way they establish home ranges. Lucas and the other student have very different schedules, so they're forced to split their observation times into different sessions with the TA, and they plan to combine their data later. 

The other student, Yeri, knows her stuff, and she's so passionate about studying animals that Lucas mourns the fact that they won't be able to conduct their observations together. They will meet up for data analysis and drafting the final poster, so he finds solace in that. 

The split observation times also mean that he's going to be alone with Mark Lee, and he sort of shudders at the thought. He'd love to have Yeri as a buffer, but as he drives to the zoo for the first round of study he realizes that he just has to do the work and go home. 

Finding parking turns out to be a nightmare, and Lucas is glad that he left extra early to factor in the nightmarish amount of time it takes to find a place to park his car. 

He buys his ticket (which is the kind of expensive that makes him want to use Ten's credit card) and heads inside to meet Mark near the elephants as they'd discussed. 

Mark turns out to be really thorough, and he listens to all of Yukhei's suggestions with interest and respect before pointing out ways that they could improve them. As they start observing the badgers in the enclosure, their discussion moves onto topics outside of research. 

Watching animals can grow tedious after a while, and Lucas is glad when Mark turns out to be easy to talk to. They end up bonding over the fact that their closest friends think that they're the nerdiest people alive, and he learns that they're both a year ahead in college because of dual credit from high school. 

The two hours of observation pass by in a flash, and Lucas feels a lot better about working with Mark in the future. They exchange numbers (which they hadn't done at their first group meeting) and Lucas leaves the gross zoo feeling light and happy. This might not be so bad after all.

 

\--------

Mark hadn't expected the observation to go as easily as it did. He'd been dreading the day since their first group research meeting with Dr. Zhang when Yeri and Lucas had determined that their schedules were so different that they'd never be able to align their observation times. 

Which meant he was stuck splitting his time between both of them. He had no qualms about working alone with Yeri since they'd worked on research projects before. 

But the thought of working with Lucas alone made him nervous for a number of reasons. Other than the fact that he had messed up big time, he also couldn't help the fact that he found the other man gorgeous. It was his great weakness, and now he'd have to face it all the time. Wonderful. 

It certainly didn't help that they ended up having so much in common, or that Lucas was sort of funny. He found himself giggling while they watched the animals roll about in their enclosure, and Lucas's smile was so bright that Mark almost had to squint to look at it. 

They finished their scans and prepared to leave, and Mark had to hide the shock on his face when Lucas asked to exchange numbers. 

He fumbled with the phone that was handed to him and put in the right digits with shaky hands. Lucas thanked him before leaving, and Mark stood at the “Wild Encounters” section until the press of people and the yells of children became too much to bear. 

As he drove home he began to entertain the possibility that maybe he was royally screwed. 

 

\--------

“You can't fuck the TA Xuxi”, Ten says firmly, and honestly Lucas just wants to understand how this conversation spiraled out of control so fast. 

They're sitting in the living room eating cheap sushi, and Lucas stuffs his mouth instead of answering, but his cheeks still filled with color at Ten's insinuation that he wants to fuck Mark, of all people. 

He'd just explained that he was actually pretty cool, and super smart, and into the same graphic novels, and Ten had taken one look at his wide eyes and declared him lovestruck. Kun was a lot more reasonable and congratulated him on starting his research on a good note. 

“He doesn't want to fuck him Ten, I raised him better than that. He's just happy that the person that he'll be working with for the next two months isn't a complete asshole like we thought”, Kun replies in his defense, and he wants to kiss him on the cheek in gratitude, so he does. 

Kun laughs at the wet kiss, and returns one just as sloppy, right on Lucas's smile swollen cheek. 

Ten gags at their display of affection and swipes the last of the sushi, grumbling about how no one listens to him as he starts flicking through channels on their huge television. 

Lucas is, as Kun says, happy with the development, and he crosses the room to cuddle with Ten as he channel surfs. Ten softens as he cuddles back, and Lucas keeps smiling, even when it begins to hurt his face.

 

\----------

Over the next month, he gets closer to Mark than he ever thought possible. Actually, he gets a lot closer to their little research team in general, and he hangs out with Mark and Yeri just as much as he hangs out with his other friends. 

They meet up to discuss their work regularly, and soon they begin to meet just for the sake of hanging out. Yeri proceeds to consistently whoop their asses at Mario Kart, and he exchanges graphic novels with Mark regularly. 

Their friend groups begin to intertwine in ways that make Lucas think that this was all inevitable anyway. All of their friends know each other in one way or another, either from work or from shared classes. So they just end up inseparable at some point, and Lucas isn't complaining. He loves making new friends, and he's already hung out at Mark's place before. 

Ten decides to introduce them all to their regular milkshake spot, and it becomes a hit with Mark's friends as well. They meet there regularly, and Lucas always laughs at Jaehyun's continuous attempts to find something good on the menu apart from the milkshakes. 

“I'm pretty sure that the milkshakes are literally the only reason why this place is still running”, Johnny says as he watches Jaehyun flip through the menu as if it holds the answers to all of his problems. 

Jaehyun remains determined though, and they always end up splitting whatever he orders between themselves in a show of solidarity, not wanting him to waste his money or eat the nasty ass food by himself. Ten is always ready with a sharp “I told you so” when the food tastes like oiled rubber, but YangYang and Hendery just pat him on the head as he pouts. 

Yeri invites her friends as well, and their group swells to a number so large that they end up having to sit in the so-called ‘Party Section’ which is thankfully always empty because who the hell would want to celebrate their birthday here? 

Taeyong is disgusted by how greasy everything is, but once he tastes the milkshakes he decides to join them whenever they invite him. As Lucas looks at all of his friends, both old and new, he feels his heart swell. 

They're all cackling at a story that Johnny is telling about a professor that he had a crush on as a freshman, and Lucas laughs along until he meets Mark's eyes across the table. He's looking at him too, and for a minute they just stare, Lucas's heart quickening to a staccato rhythm in his chest as they make eye contact. 

The sound of Hendery choking on a Maraschino cherry beside him jolts him back to reality, and he fumbles to help his friend expel the fruit from his windpipe. Taeil ends up pushing him aside and literally performs the Heimlich maneuver until Hendery coughs up a whole cherry. 

The table is deathly quiet as his breathing regulates and Taeil soothes him by rubbing his back, but Lucas can't help but think that the situation is hilarious. YangYang breaks the tension by bursting into laughter and Ten scolds him but he's obviously holding back his own laughter. 

Hendery looks embarrassed, but he takes one look at the whole cherry he's just expelled from his windpipe and starts wheezing with laughter. The whole table soon joins, and Taeil asks him how the hell he managed to inhale an entire cherry. Hendery shrugs in response and Taeil rolls his eyes, but soon Hendery is hugging him and kissing him on the cheeks, thanking him for “saving him from certain death”. 

Taeil looks flustered and tells him to quit, but he still smiles warmly and hugs him back. Lucas has stopped laughing enough to notice Mark looking at him from the corner of his eye, and he can't help the warmth that spreads to his cheeks in response. 

The combination of his rambunctious friends and Mark's attention is overwhelming, and he takes a big sip of his milkshake to distract himself. 

 

\---------

They hang out together a lot, and it worries Mark how easily Lucas works his way into so many parts of his life. Like his Sundays. 

Sunday breakfast has always been a special event, a time for him to relax without the noise of his roommates. But he found himself texting Lucas one Sunday to invite him over for breakfast since they were both early birds, and it had become a ritual since then. 

Mark does all the cooking once Lucas admits that he'd once left a pot of water on the stove for so long that the water had evaporated. He experiments with different recipes and gets him to try them, appreciating the honest feedback and the honest expressions of delight on the other man's face. 

He makes banana nut pancakes, breakfast egg muffins, and puff pastry breakfast cups the most since they turn out to be Lucas's favorites. 

He wonders more than once if it's strange to love watching someone eat as much as he does. 

Lucas always stuffs his face like a chipmunk, and when he looks up to see Mark looking, his cheeks take on a soft pink as he looks down at his plate again. Mark is smitten, and he doesn't know what to do about it.

 

\--------

Lucas loves Sunday breakfasts with Mark. In fact, maybe he loves everything with Mark? It frightens him just a little. He wouldn't want to date his TA or anything, but he can't help the attraction he feels, or at least he doesn't really want to fight it. 

They fit well together, and Lucas reasons that even if they never actually date, they can at least be friends. 

But that sweet, innocent thought flies out the window when he comes to breakfast an hour early on Sunday. Mark had wanted to try something really complicated and had asked if he'd be cool with coming a little earlier to help him with ingredients. Lucas knew fuck-all about cooking, but Mark knew what he was doing, so he readily agreed. He grabbed two iced coffees from the cute coffee shop Mark liked and headed over, knocking on the door once he makes it up to their apartment on the second floor. 

What greets him is a shirtless Mark, his hair a mess and eyes groggy. He murmurs a good morning that's garbled by a yawn before letting Lucas in, and he's trying his best not to stare at the exposed skin. But it's hard not to, and Lucas just stares at the hard planes of his stomach, at the muscles that ripple in his back when he moves. 

He's lean, but he looks toned, and Lucas kind of wants to lick him. He'd rather have him for breakfast, but he'll eat whatever the other man makes instead. 

Mark leaves him in the living room to take a shower and wear clothes (for goodness sake) and he spends his time scrolling through Netflix until he settles on watching the Great British Baking Show while he waits. 

The show does very little to calm his beating heart and the recurring thought that he wants to climb Mark like a tree filters through his mind despite his efforts to keep it out. 

He can't even climb Mark, given that he's much shorter than him, but his brain is in hyper sex mode, so most logic is out the window. He really tries to concentrate on baking challenges on the show, and by the time the bakers begin making three-tiered pies his heart rate has decreased and his mind has initiated a calm the fuck down sequence.

Mark comes out fully dressed, looking more alert and excited to try out the new recipe.

As Lucas painstakingly measures out the dry ingredients for mixing he spares a look at Mark on the other side of the kitchen. His brow is furrowed in concentration as he separates egg whites from the yolks, and Lucas realizes with a pang that he wants this to be more. 

He wants to be able to cross the small space of the kitchen and kiss the frown from his face, make his cheeks swell with a smile. He wants to be able to kiss him again when they've eaten, to show his appreciation for the delicious food with his lips, with fingers tangled in the other's hair. 

He goes back to measuring flour, but the image of being even more intimate with Mark is ingrained in his mind. So much for being just friends.

\-------------

Their research project is coming to an end, and Mark is stuck hoping that they'll still be close once they turn in their final poster at the year-end conference. They're currently on the last leg of their observation, this time in the local preserve. 

It's a lot harder to observe them out in the wild since there's much more space and many more animals to watch. They've been relatively silent so that they can focus on their scans, but Mark is dumb enough to risk a glance at the Lucas. 

He's biting his plump bottom lip, and a bright orange sweater dwarfs his large frame somehow. 

Mark knows then and there that he wants to kiss him. Wants to see him cry out in bliss. It's worse because Lucas looks so focused, scrunching his nose in concentration with a small furrow between his brows. He doesn't notice Mark staring. 

He goes back to looking at the damn badgers, and since he's spent a full two minutes of observation staring at Yukhei he bullshits his scans till he's back on track (no one will ever know). 

So maybe he's attracted to Lucas, there are worse people to be attracted to. But he can't ignore the way that his chest feels heavy when the other boy throws his head back when he laughs, or how he frowns when he's thinking really hard, and then breaks out in the biggest smile when he figures something out. 

He feels dizzy when he hears him blurt out answers like little bursts of energy, looking surprised when they're right as if he doesn't spend hours studying before each class. 

Mark likes him that way, wants to hold his hand and feed him waffles on Sundays instead of just watching him from across the table. He feels bad for feeling this way about his friend, but he finds solace in the fact that no one has to know. 

\----------

The semester is coming to a close, and so is their research project. He meets up with Mark, Yeri, and Dr. Zhang much more frequently to analyze data and actually write their final report. 

Over the next few weeks, he juggles research meetings along with his classes and a part-time job at the bookstore. They put on the finishing touches to their presentation and attend the conference only two weeks before finals. 

The other students attending the conference are actually really cool, and Lucas ends up making friends with people from other schools while Yeri and Mark try not to die of boredom. He's attended other conferences before, but they were for behavioral sciences, not natural sciences. 

He's excited to be here, but after about 30 minutes he realizes that most of the conference is actually a snooze fest. Talking to people makes it interesting though, so he alternates between talking to his research group and other students. 

By the time it's their turn to present their findings there are whoops from the students Lucas made friends with, and Mark and Yeri laugh at the stunned looks on the older people's faces as they just clap politely. 

They present their findings, and the weeks of planning really show in the way that the three of them seem to bounce off of each other, ideas flowing smoothly without awkward pauses from any of them. When they finish there are more whoops from the back, along with polite clapping, and they move to a reception area to showcase their poster for the project. Dr. Zhang meets them with a huge smile on his face, and he tells them how proud he is of them before giving them each a hug.

They move on to answering questions about their research as people trickle in and mill around the room. There are about 20 other schools present, each with their own representatives and posters showcasing their work.

“I personally think the poster segment is redundant since we already gave a detailed PowerPoint presentation, but it is great for networking so there's that”, Mark says as he absentmindedly touches the huge laminated poster. 

Lucas agrees, and from the tired look on Yeri's face, it's clear that she agrees as well. They answer questions until it's acceptable for them to leave. 

Yeri and Lucas decide to have a mini study session for the Animal Behavior final, and Mark pouts when he's left out. Lucas ignores the urge to kiss the pout off his lips and opts to start making flashcards instead, and Yeri joins him when she finally gets Mark to leave. 

They write in silence until Yeri breaks it by asking “You like him, don't you?”

Lucas is a little shocked and he sort of gapes like a fish while she continues. 

“It's none of my business, I know, but I'm used to observing things, and at the risk of sounding like a complete weirdo I'll admit that I've been observing you two almost as much as I observed the badgers. You're both disgustingly obvious by the way. It's hilarious but also sad” Yeri says, and Lucas takes a deep breath before responding.

“Yeah, I do like him,” he says simply, because what else can he say? Lucas appreciates that she doesn't try to give him any further advice. 

She just smiles at him in understanding and sagely tells him that “it'll all work out”. He doubts it, but he's glad for the optimism anyways.

 

\------------

Finals week is finally upon them, and Mark is running on very little sleep. Jaehyun forces him to at least take naps and drink water. Johnny all but forces him to eat when he cooks, and he appreciates his roommates' efforts to keep him alive and remind him of the fact that he is, in fact, a human being with needs. 

When he turns in his last final he almost cries in relief. He actually does cry when he gets home, and Jaehyun and Taeil look at each other worriedly as Mark openly sobs on their couch. He doesn't really know why he's crying, a combination of emotions placing pressure on his eyelids and making his tear ducts active. 

He sobs even as Jaehyun and Taeil join him on the couch and hug him comfortingly, and he's just glad it's all over. Physics had whooped his ass all semester, and all the other responsibilities he had piled up till he felt like he was drowning at times, especially this last week.

But he calms down as Jaehyun rubs his back soothingly, telling him gently that it's ok now, it's all over. 

He feels a little embarrassed once he stops crying, but Taeil and Jaehyun assure him that he doesn't need to explain himself. He makes them lunch and eats with them before going to his room to get some much-needed sleep. 

His phone alerts him to a message from Xuxi and he smiles as he opens it up to read it. 

 

Xuxi: I just finished my last exam ajhshdhdhs

Xuxi: I think I just ascended? That final was so hard wtf Mark you didn't think to warn ur friends??

Mark laughs at the notion that Lucas found the Animal Behavior exam hard. He and Yeri had been preparing for weeks, and they knew the material backward and forwards.

Morkly: If it makes you feel any better physics whooped my ass and called my mom a whore.

Xuxi: ajhshsgege noooo not ur mom

Xuxi: I'm so sorry that I laughed Mark wtfff

Xuxi: I'm sure you did fine tho, don't worry too much. 

Morkly: Too late, I've been worrying for 5 months. 

Xuxi: let's make a deal then. If we both just get some sleep instead of worrying, we can both get milkshakes tomorrow at the spot.

Morkly: That sounds good. Bet. You got a deal

Xuxi: :))))

Morkly: :))))))))))

Xuxi: Stop trying to out smile me, I'm the smile king!!

Morkly: I know u are, lol

Xuxi: good. Now get some sleep!!

Morkly: you too.

Mark falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow, and his dreams are warmed by a familiar smile.

 

\------------

Lucas loves parties. He loves dressing up and doing his makeup, loves talking to people and dancing. Kun thinks he's gross for liking the sweaty atmosphere, but he can't help it. 

The winter holiday started about a week ago, and Lucas finally has time to go to parties and dance as much as he wants. 

Ten is his partner in crime when he's not to busy being all lovey-dovey with Johnny, and he's glad for the company. 

The rest of winter break passes by in a blur of dancing and time with his family when he goes home for Christmas. 

By the time the New Year comes around, Ten announces that he's having a New Year's Eve bash at their place. Kun and Hendery ask to see the guest list before agreeing, but Lucas and YangYang are down regardless. Their friend group is actually pretty big, so they end up just inviting close friends. It won't be as rowdy as the parties Lucas is used to, but he's excited nonetheless. 

He doesn't even bother denying that part of his excitement stems from the fact that Mark will be back in town for the party. They'd been texting for the whole winter break since Mark had spent the break in Switzerland with his family. He hates that he misses him so much, but he's happy that they can hang out again.

Lucas was in charge of buying cute decorations for the party, and he goes all out on balloons, confetti, big banners, and cute hats. YangYang helps him decorate the house, and by the time Johnny and Ten return with drinks and snacks they're ready to welcome the new year with a bang. 

Their friends start trickling in as the evening progresses, and Lucas tries not to watch the door for Mark. He busies himself by listening to Ten's outrageous stories, and as more drinks are pressed into his hand he forgets to check the door and just laughs with abandon. 

\--------------

Mark makes it to the party a little late but he enters to shouts of “Mark Lee!” and pats on the back, so he figures it's fine. His eyes automatically search the room for Lucas, and he gasps a little when he sees him.

Lucas is standing with his friends, sipping on what Mark thinks is a bottle of hard lemonade. He's laughing at something Ten is saying, and YangYang and Hendery are laughing just as hard. He looks fucking adorable, with a huge pink hoodie and black ripped jeans. His dark hair is swept away from his face with a pink headband, and Mark can see the flush in his cheeks from where he stands across the room. 

He wants to grip the hoodie in his hands, see if it's as soft as it looks. He wants to taste the lemonade on Lucas’ plump lips, lick into his mouth to hear what sounds he'd make. Mark isn't usually this honest with himself, but he figures that there's no harm in admitting the truth since he'll take it to the grave. He really likes Lucas as a friend, and if he secretly wants to lick the syrup off his lips during breakfast, what's the harm in that? 

 

He decides to get himself some drinks from the kitchen, sitting with Taeyong and Ten as they debate the merits of turkey sausage versus regular sausage. They argue for a long time, and Mark gets tipsy enough to join them eventually. 

They all burst out laughing when they remember that Taeyong has been a vegetarian for 3 years and as such, shouldn't be involved in the argument anyway. He's still laughing when he feels a light tap on his shoulder, and he turns around to see a smiling Lucas, eyes wide and cheeks flushed as pink as his hoodie. 

“Hi”, he breathes. Mark grins at him in response and grips his hand, forgetting to answer him verbally. The other man is still smiling though, so he figures it's okay. 

They move to a loveseat that's been shoved to the corner of the room, and Mark realizes that he's still holding Lucas's hand. The grip is warm and comfortable, so Mark doesn't bother letting go, and neither does Lucas. 

They don't really talk about much, just sit and nod to the music playing from Ten's Spotify playlist. They sit for a while, just relaxing, and when Lucas squeezes his hand he looks up to see him staring. He looks breathtaking, and Mark wants to give him a taste of his own medicine by stealing his breath with a kiss. So he does. 

He kisses him and Lucas responds immediately, kissing him back till they're both out of breath. They continue kissing, and Lucas moans when Mark licks into his mouth, tasting the lemonade he'd been drinking earlier. He's so caught up in the sweet taste of his mouth and the soft press of his chest that he forgets that they're literally in a room full of their closest friends. 

They're interrupted by loud whoops and an even louder “Save it for the countdown!”, and Lucas's cheeks are tomato red in embarrassment. Mark feels no shame, especially since he's seen half the people in this room in much more compromising situations (they don't speak of Johnny's days as a Thotiana, but Mark's memories can only be repressed so much). 

He squeezes his hand and kisses his red cheek, enjoying the way it becomes impossibly redder at the attention. They wait till the countdown and enter the New Year kissing, too engrossed in each other to watch the ball drop on TV. 

*-*-*-*-*

When Mark and Lucas start dating, their friends breathe a collective sigh of relief. They fit well together, and they're glad that Mark's initial pettiness didn't ruin their chance at love. He finally finds the courage to apologize to Lucas over breakfast, and the other man rolls his eyes before kissing the syrup from his lips.

“I forgave you a long time ago dummy, but thanks for the apology”.

They still spend way too much time on school work, but they balance each other out, and even if Ten has taken to calling them “grade whores”, they still wouldn't have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!!


End file.
